Thursday, February 11, 2010
Chris Klee, a junior from Olathe, leans in to steal the ball from Peter Lewis, a senior from Lawrence. The bike polo match took place Sunday at Veterans Park.
What: The new sport of bike polo, which is exactly what it sounds like. Two teams of three players each ride bikes on a hard court, hitting a ball with mallets to score more goals than the other team in eight minutes. Contact is allowed between bike and bike, mallet and mallet and body and body. However, none of these can cross. For example, a player cannot whack another player with a mallet.
Video
Bike polo hits Lawrence
A new type of sport is rolling into Lawrence. This unique combination of biking and polo has attracted many people.
Why they play: According to Malakai Edison, a 2008 KU graduate, “it’s created by people who love playing, plus trash-talking is allowed and supported.” Edison is also one of three regional representatives for the South Central Region of the North American Hard Court Bike Polo League.
When and Where: The local bike polo league, called Scary Larry Kansas Bike Polo, plays at Veterans Park on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m.
Who: Though the league was created by bicycling enthusiasts, anyone is welcome. “I think it’s mostly about getting together with a bunch of friends. We don’t discriminate based on whether you’re good or bad,” said Chris Klee, a junior from Kansas City, Kan., and a player in the local league. They also don’t discriminate based on bikes. “A few of us ride six-speed bikes, but the most strategic choice is whatever bike you’re most comfortable on,” Klee said.
Injury Factor: Although the rules don’t permit mallet-on-body action, it happens. “I’ve taken a mallet to the head,” Klee said. “I’m mainly known as the person who crashes and takes other people out.” It’s not just bodies that are taking abuse. “In my last game, I broke the front fork of my bike and the front wheel came completely off,” Edison said. But he said he didn’t think injuries should scare off prospective players. “There are people who don’t play with much contact, then there are people like me that everyone comes after because I’m so aggressive,” Edison said. “But if someone new wanted to try it out, they would have a small to zero chance of getting injured.”
— Edited by Kate Larrabee
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Comments
Lawrence's super smash bikers
I used to ride a fixed gear bike.
I sold it because other people who ride fixed gear bikes are really, really annoying.
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